Have you always wanted to twist on top of a soccer ball and get past a defender the stylish way Diego Maradona did? The Maradona Turn, when executed properly, is an extremely effective maneuver. This attacking move is known by a few other names as well (the Zidane, the Twister, the Roulette) but is primarily associated with Maradona, who is now a coach. [1]

Steps

Method1

Learning the Move

1

Understand the movement. Watch videos of the motion to get a feel for how the great soccer “trickster” Maradona used it. [2] The Maradona turn is famous for its effectiveness in moving the soccer ball past a defender, especially in sticky situations. It’s a stylish spinning move that when done properly can be virtually impossible to defend against. Watch slow motion videos to acquaint yourself with the basic tactics of the move.

2

Place the ball on the ground. Approach the ball as if you were dribbling. Visualize a defender approaching as you attack their territory. Go through each motion of the move slowly and deliberately.

3

"Grab” the top of the ball with the front of your dominant foot. The Maradona is all about stopping suddenly, then redirecting the ball in a different direction. The movements of the actual turn should be relatively slow compared to the pace of your dribbling down the field. Stop the ball with your foot on top of it and drag it back toward you.

4

Put your foot next to the ball. Take your foot off the ball and place it on the ground next to the ball, between the ball and and imaginary defender, turning your body so that the defender is on your side. Get your arm on that side up, to shield against the defender.

5

Switch feet. Grab the ball with your non-dominant foot. As you spin, drag the ball into the space behind you. Keep the ball within your personal space, but far enough behind you that the defender won’t be able to reach it past your body.

6

Spin and recover. After you drag the ball behind you, spin and retake forward possession, dribbling the ball off in a angle down the field and past the defender. [3] The key to using the Maradona turn in play is the dynamic speeds throughout. Imagine the whole move as approaching a defender fast, slowing and executing the turn, then bam! You’re sprinting past the confused defender as you continue down the field.

Method2

Practicing the Maradona Turn

1

Work on the movement. Start by practicing the body motion without a ball. This will help you understand the basic body motion of the move, which looks extremely complicated at high speed. It’s not. It’s fairly simple when done slowly. Slow it down and imagine the ball on the ground at first.

Practice each component of the Maradona as described above in individual steps.

Work on getting your body used to the technique before you move on to incorporating the ball.

At first, go nice and slow, placing your foot on “top” of the imaginary ball, and the other positions where you manipulate the ball as you go through each motion.

2

Incorporate the ball. Now that you’ve gotten the body motion down, practice the actual footwork on the ball. As with the motion work, go slow at first. Treat each component of the move as an individual step. Repeat the approach, the stopping of the ball, the switching of feet on the ball, the spinning of your body, and the movement of the ball into the space behind you as individual moves, then put them all together.

3

Practice faster. When you have the basic ball maneuver down at a slow speed, increase your pace. Take great care as you increase your speed to retain control throughout. The Maradona isn’t meant to be executed at high speed. It’s a move of finesse- rushing it will only result in you losing possession of the ball or tripping over it, possibly twisting an ankle.

As you go faster, keep in mind the specific movements-each movement is its own step.

If it starts to get sloppy, slow it back down and continue practicing each motion slowly.

4

Practice with a dribble. Once you are able to do the Maradona with some regularity and speed, start dribbling, and practice the Maradona technique in the midst of dribbling. Once you execute the maneuver, dribble away in the new direction.

5

Practice with cones. When you feel comfortable doing the Maradona with a dribble, use cones to get the feel for using it in a specific place in relation to a defender. Using cones to represent sedentary people or positions on the field will help you ability to execute moves where they matter most- right in the spot they’re called for. It won’t so you any good if you can do the Maradona Turn, but not at the correct moment. [4]

Get three cones.

Place two of the cones approximately five yards apart.

Place the third cone another five yards out, at an approximately 45 degree angle from the middle cone.

Starting at the first cone, dribble toward the second, and execute the Maradona as if the second cone were a defender. Spin past the “defender” and continue dribbling on to the third cone.

Method3

Knowing When to use the Maradona

1

Be aware of angle of the approaching defender. The Maradona works best when the defender is approaching from an angle or from the side, rather than straight on. Diego Maradona himself used it countless times to escape seemingly impossible situations, in corners of the field or when surrounded by defenders. If a defender is approaching head on, it can be used to take the ball in a different direction.

One of the reasons the Maradona Turn is so effective is that it can be used in tight spaces.

When getting crowded on other sides by multiple defenders the move can be used to re-direct the ball out of a tight spot.

2

Use the Maradona on a run. The Maradona Turn is perfect to use when a defender is approaching fast, especially if they’re about to tackle. When you're moving fast down the field and an approaching defender or multiple defenders move to stop you, the sudden shift in speed of the Maradona will confuse your attacker(s).

3

Move from a stopped position. When the ball is stopped and you need to get it moving out of a tight place, and effective Maradona Turn can break you out of a stuck position inside the opposing team’s territory. [6] Use it suddenly when you've been stopped by defenders, then take the ball off into open ground.

4

Slow it down. The Maradona is meant to used with dynamic speed, not at top speed. Once again, the speed dynamics are what make the move so effective. When you’re attacking fast against multiple defenders, then stop on a dime, execute the turn almost casually, then speed off toward the goal, leaving the defenders bewildered and in your dust, it’s not only a highly effective maneuver, it’s one of the more stylish and artistic moves in soccer.

Use the move to de-accelerate, then re-accelerate in a different direction.

Be sure to pull the ball far enough behind you that it’s out of the defender’s reach, but where you can keep it in your own space and control.